An option considered after the UEFA punishment
Olympique de Marseille begin their European season on Thursday night in Istanbul, away to Besiktas. They are going. But they did consider doing the opposite. L’Equipe reported on Wednesday morning that Marseille’s hierarchy had looked at the possibility of withdrawing from the Europa League after UEFA handed down its punishment.
The European governing body came down hard: a 10 million euro fine and a suspended ban from future continental competitions. Faced with that threat, the idea of sitting out the Europa League did the rounds internally. It’s nothing new. AC Milan and Juventus have both previously turned down European places to ease the pressure from UEFA.
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The financial case settled it
The board weighed it up, then decided to take part. The Europa League still brings in money. The figures are nowhere near Champions League levels, but they matter for a club that did not sign anyone this summer. Marseille’s transfer window closed without a single new arrival.
The calculation would have been different one level lower. According to L’Equipe, OM would have walked away had the sanction applied to a Conference League place. The competition ladder shaped the decision as much as the rules did.
A trip full of risk
Back to the football. Bruno Genesio takes a team to Istanbul that sits 13th in Ligue 1, with three defeats in four league games. Besiktas’ stadium rarely gives visitors an easy night. Marseille fans, meanwhile, have not been allowed to travel.
Kick-off is Thursday at 9pm. OM are not just playing for three points. A bad start in Europe would make the rest of the campaign a slog for a squad already under strain, and would only tighten the screws on a club that was banking on Europe to ease the pressure.
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